Abstract

Objective: Preterm infants admitted to neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) are at an increased risk of requiring basic life support (BLS). This study aimed to evaluate the impact of BLS training on the knowledge and anxiety levels of mothers of preterm infants.

Material and Methods: This prospective descriptive study included mothers of preterm infants born at less than 37 weeks of gestation who were either discharged from the NICU or being treated in the mother-infant adaptation unit. Participants were provided with BLS training using visual materials. A questionnaire assessing knowledge levels and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI Form TX-1 and TX-2) were administered before and after the training. Pre- and post-training questionnaire responses and anxiety scores were analyzed.

Results: A total of 100 mothers participated in the study. Post-training knowledge levels regarding BLS significantly improved (p<0.001). State and trait anxiety scores significantly decreased after the training (p<0.001). Mothers with a university education had higher pre-training knowledge scores compared to those with primary or secondary education (p<0.001); however, post-training knowledge levels were similar across all educational groups (p = 0.600).

Conclusion: BLS training increased knowledge levels and reduced anxiety among mothers of preterm infants. Therefore, developing and disseminating appropriate BLS training programs for parents may play a crucial role in improving public health. Moreover, reducing parental anxiety through such training could contribute to enhancing the quality of neonatal care.

Keywords: Preterm, mother, parent, basic life support, education, anxiety

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Copyright © 2025 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

How to cite

1.
Şahin O, Korkut S, Erol S. Evaluation of basic life support training provided to mothers of preterm infants. Turk J Pediatr Dis [Internet]. 2025 Aug. 20 [cited 2025 Aug. 23];. Available from: https://turkjpediatrdis.org/article/view/1222